ABSTRACT
The interview is the anchor point and core of the oral history process. This chapter presents the art of interviewing, which includes understanding how memory works, relating to the narrator, and other factors that can affect an interview's outcome. Interview preparation is the foundation for effective oral history. It begins with a survey of existing information about a proposed idea for an oral history project. Historical organizations often have a specific purpose when planning, recording, and creating oral histories. During background research, practitioners look for gaps in existing information and develop topics with an eye toward filling those gaps or adding new perspectives. The art of interviewing incorporates fully documenting the interview, its content, its context, and its circumstances. Shared authority can help historical organizations build support systems and networks, but its use can go beyond that. The option of bringing community members into the action opens doors for collaboration.
